The Lobster Trap
The golden whole-belly fried clams are worth an impromptu day trip. Add in the Buzzards Bay and Back River vistas, the newly built bar stocked with local brews, and the overstuffed lobster roll served on buttery brioche (yes, brioche), and what you've got is, quite simply, one of the Cape's best casual seafood joints. 290 Shore Road, Bourne, MA 2532, lobstertrap.net.
As if the courtyard at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum isn't awe-inspiring enough, step into the lavishly adorned Tapestry Room for classical and jazz concerts.
Just listening to chamber music in such an exquisite setting will make you wish you were an early 20th-century Brahmin.
Box Office Video
A tremendous selection of foreign and art films, and a staff of knowledgeable buffs. 160 Newbury St., Boston, MA .
Pet Companions
The dog lovers at Somerville's Pet Companions never call what they do kenneling, a term which implies confinement. Those in the know refer to Pat Companions as the Ritz for dogs. When dogs spend the night at a "Doggie Pajama Party," as proprietor Judy Basteri calls it, pooch gets to sleep on a dog bed or couch, is provided with chewies and toys, and roams with his buds in a professionally designed playspace. canine Mahler fans take heart—doggies also listen to classical music while bunking down. Pet Companions offers dog walking, organized doggie play groups, and day care. 191 Broadway, Somerville, MA .
Fresh
Going on a fashion bender along Newbury can leave even hard-core shoppers feeling a tad wilted. Good thing Fresh is close at hand: With white-tiled walls and elegant white fixtures, the locally based chain's recently renovated Back Bay outpost soothes like a Victorian powder room, while simultaneously offering pep-promoting potions. Perfumes are touched with intriguing notes like Moroccan basil; skin care is punched up with lemon oil and cucumber extract; and a number of body products (even deodorant) feature real sugar in the mix. Just when you thought you'd lost your will to buy, it's back. 121 Newbury St., Boston, MA 2116, fresh.com.
Patina Designs
Pauline Curtiss brings a level of unrivaled distinction to every space she works in. Gracing the ceilings, walls, and sometimes floors (though her work is far too lovely to be walked on, in our opinion) of homes all over the city and beyond, Curtiss’s custom designs are painted and sculpted with shifting colors that show movement. From geometric and floral patterns to graffiti motifs and themed murals — including one fanciful spin on Alice in Wonderland at a no-holds-barred house in Chestnut Hill — Curtiss’s range is unlimited. She’s also a deeply generous and compassionate person; just ask the loyal band of female painters who work for her. patina-designs.com.
Back Bay IPA, Boston Beer Works
A hoppy, aromatic, high-octane India Pale Ale, the Back Bay IPA gets its character from the dry hops added in the aging process. The copper-colored beer starts with the full taste of Centennial and Cascade hops from the Pacific Northwest but finishes with a hint of grapefruit. Head brewer Brian Allen says the IPA isn't the Beer Works' best-selling beer, but it retains a cult following because it is served as both a frosty filtered draught and, for the traditionalist who wants to drink it like the British, a cask-conditioned ale. 61 Brookline Avenue, Boston, MA beerworks.net.
Kobe Cap Steak, Grill 23 & Bar
We’re jonesing for the primal pleasures of a deep-charred steak crust that doesn’t involve sweating bullets over a home grill. 161 Berkeley St., Boston, MA 02116, grill23.com.
Joe Zimmerman at Joe's American Bar & Grill
Quick, courteous, friendly, and professional, Zimmerman is head and shoulders (literally and figuratively) above the rest. His supporting cast is better than most, too. 279 Dartmouth St., Boston, MA .
The Farmer’s Daughter
The progeny of potato farmers, chef Chandra Gouldrup offers emphatically local brunch fare we’d gladly wake up to every morning (even the coffee, Jim’s Organic, is a Bay State product). Fortunately, treats such as daily-changing quiches and cider waffles with pear compote are available on weekdays, too—as are libations like the kimchi bloody mary. The considerate retail "Pantry" meanwhile, extends the restaurant’s delights to brunch-in-bed mornings with date-and-bacon jam, citrus-honey turmeric yogurt, and other tempting provisions. 122 Main St., North Easton, MA 02356, thefarmersdaughtereaston.com.
Ocean Edge Resort & Golf Club
Morning begins with coffee on the mansion's water-view terrace, a round of golf, or perhaps a massage at the brand-new spa. For the afternoon, it's standup paddleboarding along the private bay beach. Evening brings cranberry mojitos and painterly sunsets over the Brewster Flats at the recently opened beach bar. All of this without ever leaving your resort? If that doesn't sound like a blissful getaway close to home, we don't know what does. 2907 Main St., Brewster, MA 2631, oceanedge.com.
Life Alive
A new Boston staffer—a meat-loving New York transplant—recently ran into the office, excited after "discovering" Life Alive. It was then that we realized how lucky we are to have had this organic café long before the whole grain-bowl-kombucha-juice-bar thing got trendy. Just try "The Adventurer," a mash-up of corn, beets, cruciferous veggies, cheddar, and sesame-ginger sauce over quinoa and rice and see for yourself. 765 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02139, lifealive.com.
Ole Mexican Grille
Walking into this colorful Inman Square eatery is like entering the dining room of a spirited Oaxacan family. A five-piece mariachi band plays by the bar, and casually dressed waiters chime in with howls. As for the food, executive chef Erqin Ramos turns out the sweetest tomatillo-spiked salsa verde thsi side of the border, plus other lesser-known delicacies like chayote succotash, a traditional side dish made with an indigenous Mexican starchy vegetables that's a cross between a squash and a pear. 11 Springfield Street, Cambridge, MA olerestaurantgroup.com.
Equinox Fitness
In the year since the high-end New York chain opened a location in the Back Bay, Bostonians have been flocking to this ideal spa-gym hybrid. The sleek, inviting space holds not only the latest fitness equipment, but also studios for Pilates, cycling, and myriad yoga classes (pranavayu, vinyasa flow, anusara, and power). Inclined toward pampering? Avail yourself of the full range of massages, wraps, and facials. Afterward, the juice bar and free WiFi in the lounge help recharge body and mind. 131 Dartmouth St., Boston, MA 2116, .
9 Months
Style and comfort: two concepts once forsaken by expectant moms. That is, until Katie Tagliavia's new shop gave a maternity-sized shout-out to pregnant women everywhere. Tagliavia's boutique, with ample couch space and a toddler play area, stocks stylin' sweaters, designer denim, and sleek diaper bags (including a long-overdue invention: one for Dad). Which makes her almost as welcome as the stork itself. 286 Newbury St., Boston, MA .